Skylar Macias English Comp I Mrs. Powell 11/10/13 Part I Study !road "he opportunity to study a!

road in Italy would !e one I#d ha$e to take. Italy is a $ery !eauti%ul place& and it contains what is essentially the capital o% my religion& Catholicism. I% I were to go to Italy& I would ha$e to $isit 'lorence& (enice& and Milan %or their historical aspects and sheer !eauty. I also couldn#t miss out on )ome and the inner (atican City %or cultural and religious purposes. I#$e always wanted to $isit 'lorence. "he incredi!ly !eauti%ul architecture complimented !y the glistening rno )i$er is something that I#m determined to see with my own two eyes. It is considered to ha$e the !est preser$ed )enaissance architecture in the world. Its churches& !uildings& and monuments !ring in tourists %rom all o$er the world. 'lorence*s domed cathedral Santa Maria del 'iore& also known as the +uomo& is the city*s most iconic !uilding ,Melanie )en-ulli& n.d... Melanie )en-ulli ,n.d.. states that /Its dome was the world*s largest until the construction o% St. Peter*s 0asilica in )ome ,(atican City.& which was completed in 1112.3 "he architecture doesn#t end with the cathedral& the Midici Palace is also an iconic piece o% )enaissance history. "he Midici %amily owned and ran the largest !ank in Europe in the late 1400s. 'our Popes ha$e !een %rom this %amily& so you can only imagine the in%luence they had on 'lorence as well as Italy as a whole. 'lorence isn#t all a!out architecture& it#s also known %or its many art museums. "he 5alleria dell* ccademia and 6%%i-i& located in 'lorence& are two o%

the most %amous art museums in Italy. Michelangelo#s %amous sculpture David is located at the 5alleria dell# ccademia& as well as Piet and many other works. (enice is a !eauti%ul city made up o% 117 mini8islands on the (enetian 9agoon. Its many !ridges& canals& and pedestrian alleyways make it easy to get lost in its comple: !eauty. "he architecture in (enice comes %rom se$eral sources o% artistic in%luence& including 0y-antine& 0aro;ue& 5othic& and <eo8Classical. "he 5rand Canal is lined with many %amous and historical palaces. Some palaces& including the Pala--o 5rassi and the Pala--o (enier del 9eoni& ha$e !een turned into museums. "he +oge#s Palace is a per%ect representation o% 5othic architecture& and has also !een turned into a museum. Milan is the location o% the single most important representation o% 5othic architecture in Italy& Milan#s Cathedral. "his cathedral took se$eral hundred years to complete& and is the %i%th largest in the world. Milan is also home to many art galleries and museums such as the Pinacoteca di 0rera& Castello S%or-esco& and S%or-a Castle Pinacoteca. "he Castello also includes the Museum o% ncient rt& the 'urniture Museum& and the Museum o% Musical Instruments. Milan is widely associated with %ashion and design. "he city is pro!a!ly most %amous in today#s world %or !eing the %ashion hu!& or e$en %ashion capital, o% the world. 'or any designer& ha$ing work presented at a Milan %ashion show is considered the most honora!le accomplishment. "he head;uarters to the most prestigious Italian %ashion companies=such as rmani& (ersace& 5ucci& Prada& and +olce > 5a!!ana= are all located in Milan. "wice a year& the Milan 'ashion ?eek shi%ts the attention o% millions o% designers& models& and %ashion sa$$y consumers to the city& as they wait in anticipation o% the most re$olutionary designs and latest %ashion trends to un%old. ?hile there are seemingly countless art %orms to appreciate in the country o% Italy& the cultural su!stance goes %ar !eyond !eauty. "he head o% the Catholic Church& the Pope& li$es in

(atican City. (isiting the (atican is something that most Catholics try to do in their li%etime. St. Peter#s 0asilica& (atican City#s cathedral& is the largest cathedral in the world. E$ery day the Pope leads mass at the cathedral. It is considered the highest honor %or any Catholic to attend mass here. St. Peter#s 0asilica is the largest cathedral in the world& !ut it only took a!out 30 years to complete. @nly the !est o% the !est artists and architects o% the time& such as Michelangelo& got to work on this iconic cathedral. I personally would like to see this to appreciate the si-e& !eauty& and religious signi%icance it holds. "he postolic Palace is where the Pope actually li$es. It is also home to the Sistine Chapel& where Michelangelo#s %amous The Last Judgment is painted. It took Michelangelo o$er %our years to paint the entire ceiling. "he paintings consist o% artistic depictions o% !i!lical stories& e$ents& and people& such as the Separation o% 9ight and +arknessA the Creation o% the Sun& Moon and EarthA the Separation o% 9and and ?aterA the Creation o% damA the Creation o% E$eA the "emptation and E:pulsionA the Sacri%ice o% <oahA the 5reat 'loodA the +runkenness o% <oahA Budith Slays Colo%ernesA Moses )aises 6p the 0ron-e SerpentA Caman is +enounced and SlainA +a$id Slays 5oliathA BonahA BeremiahA Persian Si!ylA E-ekielA Erythraean Si!ylA BoelA Dechariah& +elphic Si!ylA IsaiahA Cumaean Si!ylA +anielA 9i!yan Si!ylA as well as paintings o% the ancestors o% Christ. nother place to see that#s rich in history and culture is the Colosseum& also known as the 'la$ian mphitheatre. I#d like to see the Colosseum !ecause it#s considered the one o% the most ama-ing %eats o% )oman engineering and architecture. "he Colosseum is also the largest amphitheatre in the world. It was !uilt !etween E0 and 70 .+.& and was used %or gladiator

!attles& mock sea !attles& e:ecutions& speeches& historical and mythological reenactments& and %ictional dramas. @!$iously& I would de%initely go to Italy i% I had the chance. Italy is one o% the most historically and culturally rich places in the world& and it has done the !est Fo! preser$ing its past. I would get to see things that people ha$e !een admiring %or hundreds o% years& and that#s ama-ing to me.

Part II "aste o% Chicago It was the summer !etween my %reshman and sophomore years o% high school& and my %amily had planned a trip to $isit some %amily in Indiana. My !rother and I went with my grandparents on my mom#s side& and my parents ended up not !eing a!le to take o%% %rom work. ?e were going to $isit my grandpa#s sisters& Martha and 0ecky& and their children and grandchildren. ?e knew we#d pass through St. 9ouis& the hal%way point to our destination& so we planned to stop and spend a day with my 6ncle ?esley& who li$ed Fust outside o% the city. ?e arri$ed at his house in the e$ening a%ter dri$ing %or 1 hours& so we decided to Fust get some rest. "he ne:t day& we went to the Museum o% "ransportation& the City Museum& and the 5ateway rch. @ur time in St. 9ouis was %un& !ut we set out %or the second hal% o% the Fourney that a%ternoon. ?e %inally made it to my Cousin 9isa#s house in Munster& Indiana that night around 10 o#clock. My other cousins=Mitchell& <athan& Bulia& and Bordan=were all there waiting on us. "hey#re all really close to my age& so I spent most o% my time with them. "he ne:t e$ening I went with them to the St. "homas Moore 'est Fust a %ew !locks away %rom their house. It was a %undraiser %or a church& !ut there were lots o% !ig rides like you would %ind at the State 'air. I met a lot o% their %riends& and we all got along really well. Summer there is like /%est8season3. I pro!a!ly went to %our di%%erent ones o$er the month that I stayed there. I mostly Fust hung out with my %amily in Munster and Cammond& !ut we made it a point to spend a day in Chicago. Chicago is only a!out a 30 minute train ride %rom Cammond& i% I remem!er right. 9isa& my !rother and I le%t early one morning& and spent a couple hours at the

Museum o% Science and Industry. "hen& we went to the "aste o% Chicago. "he "aste o% Chicago is an annual e$ent where hundreds o% %ood trucks %rom $arious restaurants line up o$er se$eral !locks. Gou can go %rom truck to truck& and sample items %rom their menu. I met up with Bulia and her %riends there& while my !rother and 9isa went !ack to Cammond. 'or the rest o% the day& we e:plored Chicago& and went to %amous places like the 0ean. I#m really happy I got to go to Indiana& and it was the !est $acation I#$e e$er !een on. I spent a whole month there Fust hanging out with %amily& and making lots o% %riends. 'or most people& $acations are a!out sight8seeing& !ut what made this trip so special to me was !eing with the people I lo$e.

Part III "ra$elogue

+ates

+estination Places You would like to visit Italy

Cighlights Highlights of those areas

Etc. Website

(atican City& )ome& (enice& 'lorence& Milan. Madrid& 0arcelona

goitaly.a!out.com

Spain

www.spain.in%o

0ra-il

)io de Baneiro& Sao Paulo

www.touropia.com

5reece

thens& Santorini& Meteora

www.touropia.com

China

Spring "emple 0uddha& "he 'or!idden City& "erra Cotta rmy Sydney& "he 5reat @cean )oad

gochina.a!out.com

ustralia

www.australia.com

Peru

Machu Picchu

www.machupicchu.org

'rance

Paris

www.wikitra$el.org

"urkey

Istan!ul

www.wikitra$el.org

"hailand

0angkok

www.wikitra$el.org

Egypt

<ecropolis

www.wikitra$el.org

Me:ico

9as Po-as& Hilitla

www.wikitra$el.org

6nited ra! Emirates +u!ai

www.wikitra$el.org

Maldi$es

(arious Islands

www.wikitra$el.org

)e%erences Major Italian Fashion Houses and Labels in Milan. ,n.d... )etrie$ed <o$. 14& I013& %rom httpJ//Fapan8russia.Fimdo.com/I011/10/11/maFor8ita Medici iccardi Palace. ,n.d... )etrie$ed <o$. 14& I013& %rom httpJ//www.museumsin%lorence.com/musei/mediciKricc !t" Peter#s $asilica. ,n.d... )etrie$ed <o$. 14& I013& %rom httpJ//www.a$iewoncities.com/rome/sanpietro.htmL The Medici Famil%. ,n.d... )etrie$ed <o$. 14& I013& %rom httpJ//www.history.com/topics/medici8 %amily &enice Travel 'uide. ,n.d... ,chap. @$er$iew. )etrie$ed <o$. 14& I013& %rom httpJ//www.tra$elandleisure.com/tra$el8guide/$enic &enice Travel 'uide. ,n.d... )etrie$ed <o$. 14& I013& %rom httpJ//wikitra$el.org/en/(enice Esaak& S.. ,n.d... In The !istine (hapel (eiling b% Michelangelo. )etrie$ed <o$. 14& I013& %rom httpJ//arthistory.a!out.com/od/%amousKpaintings/a/

Copkins& M.. ,I011& Mar. II.. In The (olosseum) *mblem o+ ome. )etrie$ed <o$. 14& I013& %rom httpJ//www.!!c.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/coloss Miner& B.. ,I011& Bun. 1.. In Florence, Ital%#s ,rt (apital. )etrie$ed <o$. 14& I013& %rom httpJ//tra$elguide.a%%orda!letours.com/search/ rti )en-ulli& M.. ,n.d... In Histor% o+ the Duomo in Florence) , Histor% o+ Florence#s (athedral. ,chap. Italy "ra$el. )etrie$ed <o$. 14& I013& %rom httpJ//goitaly.a!out.com/od/%lorenceattractions/a/ )en-ulli& M.. ,n.d... In The -++i.i 'aller%. )etrie$ed <o$. 14& I013& %rom httpJ//goitaly.a!out.com/od/%lorenceattractions/a/ )en-ulli& M.. ,n.d... In Top Museums in Florence. )etrie$ed <o$. 14& I013& %rom httpJ//goitaly.a!out.com/od/%lorenceitaly/tp/%lore )en-ulli& M.. ,n.d... In Top Museums in Milan. )etrie$ed <o$. 14& I013& %rom httpJ//goitaly.a!out.com/od/milanitalytra$el/tp/mi )en-ulli& M.. ,n.d... In Top Museums in &enice. )etrie$ed <o$. 14& I013& %rom httpJ//goitaly.a!out.com/od/thingstoseeanddo/tp/$e